Improvement in oyster-shuckers



GERGE HOLTZMANN, OF BALTIMGRE, MARYLAND.

. IMPRQVEMENT IN ovsTER-sHucKl-:Rs-

Speciiieation forming part of Letters Patent No. 115,474, dated May 30, 1871.

`To all 'whom it may concern: `Be it known that I, GEORGE HOLTZMANN, of Baltimore, in the county of `Baltimore and Stateof Maryland, have invented a new and Improved MachineOyster-Shncker; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, andexact description of the same, reference.

. being had to the accompanying drawing making a part ofthis specification, in which- Figure 1 is top` view; Fig. 2, a side eleva-` tion; and Fig. 3,an end elevation.

`This invention relates, to a machine that is provided with a socket and jaw for crushing the points or edges of oyster-shells while still closed, and with a rest and springholder to support the oyster after the point of the shell "has been thus crushed, and a ysliding knife for openingthe shell while thus supported, andl i with ablade connected with a standard by a universal joint for cutting theoyster out of the shell after it has been thus opened. Y

Referring `to the drawing, A is a cast-iron frame; B, concave socket with a ribbed or l corrugated surface for receiving the point of the closed shell C, a jaw with a convex corrugated or ribbed lower side that t-s the socket B, rsaid jaw being attached directly above the socket to a lever, D, whose end is jointed l y to lugs a that spring from the frame A atthe opposite side thereof from` the socket B. If

the point of the `,closed shell be placed in the socket, and the jaw `G `be forced down upon it `by means of the lever D, the point will be `readily'and completely crushed.

A weight, E, may be attached to the lever to assist in the crushing operation. u After thus crushing the pointthe next thing is to open the shell. This is done by placing the shell upon a curved y rest, F, that'juts horizontally from two standards, `Gr Gr, that spring from thebaseV A, near one end of the saine, said standards being far enough apart to permit of the introduction bein holding the oyster.

rest against the standards G. II is an oblong tween them of the thumb and two or three Aor more ofthe fingers of the operators left hand The back of the oyster case, supported horizontally above the base A in standards that spring therefrom. I is a spring-fan-shaped plate, the narrow end of which is fastened to the under side of the ease H at the extremitythereof, next to the rest F, and at the same height .as the top of the latter. This spring-plate supports the crushed point of the oyster. Within the. case H is a sliding knife, L, the rear projecting end ot' which is jointed to a lever, M, which is pivoted to a standard, N, that springs from one corner of the base A. The right hand of the operator grasps the handle of the lever N, and.

therewith forces the knife L between the shells of the oyster, thereby opening the same. A detachable blade, O, connected by a universal joint with a standard, P, that springs from the top of one of the standards G, enables the operator to cnt the oyster out of the shells thus opened.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

UNITED STATES PATENT @Trice 1. The combination of the frame A, socket B, jaw G, and lever D, as speciiied.

2. The combination ofthe standards G, rest F, case H, blade L, spring-plate I, and lever M, as described.

3. The combination of the standard P and universally-jointed blade O, as and for the purpose specified.

To the above specification of my invention I have signed my hand this 11th day of March, A. D. 1871.

GEO. HOLTZMANN. Witnesses:

SoLoN C. KEMON,

THos. D. D. OURAND. 

